Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Nov 2: Veteran scholar, Bannanje Govindacharya, said that the story about Kanakadasa, who was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, and author of hundreds of devotional songs dedicated to Lord Keshava of Kaginele, having been denied entry to Srikrishna Mutt here, was baseless. He was delivering the keynote address at the 'Kanaka Jayanti' celebrations, being held under the aegis of Srikrishna Mutt, Kannada and culture department, district administration and Kanakadasa Study Research Centre, M G M College and Manipal Academy of General Education, which were initiated on Sunday November 1 at Rajangana here.
Govindacharya said that Sri Vadiraja wielded enormous influence at the time and had provided residential accommodation to Kanakadasa in front of the shrine of Lord Srikrishna. This was the spot where a shrine of Kanakadasa stands now. The story which says that Sri Vyasaraja refused to admit Kanakadasa inside the temple even after Sri Vadiraja accepted him, is false. Even the university professors have been teaching false stories about Kanakadasa, he stressed.
Bannanje said that he had been to Kaginele and Bada to study about Kanakadasa, and found that there was nothing on record, relating to Kanakadasa. While the temple of Lord Keshava at Kaginele is not being managed properly, the idols of Lord Hanuma, Bheema and Madhwa are being worshipped on a daily basis at Kadaramandalagi Lord Anjaneya temple, where Kanakadasa offered prayers, he explained. He also pointed out that in a devotional song by Kanakadasa, the poet said that when he was conversing with Lord Keshava, Vadiraja entered te scene, upon which, Lord Keshava instantly disappeared.
Bannanje also said that the procedure of offering Roti and gruel to the Lord every day, had been started by Vadiraja in memory of Kanakadasa. As per a record in the Mutt, a wall in the Mutt had developed cracks during night on a day, because of earthquake. Kanakadasa paid respects to Lord Srikrishna and as such, this crack is both created by nature and a miracle. In reverence to Kanakadasa, even now the Paryaya Swamijis get the first darshan of the Lord through this crack, known as Kanakana Kindi, he said.
The celebrations were inaugurated by Sri Sugunendrateertha Swamiji of Paryaya Puttige Mutt. Dignitaries like Sri Raghumanyateertha of Bheemanakatte Mutt, district deputy commissioner P Hemalata, music guru Neelavar Lakshminarayanaiah and district president of Kurubara Sangha, Sadanand Kaup, were present on the occasion.